1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vehicle trunk lid fastening devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a vehicle trunk lid securing apparatus which employs the hook and latch of an existing trunk lid locking mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well-known that occasionally things have to be carried in the trunk compartment of a car which are too large or bulky to permit the complete closing of the trunk lid. The term "trunk lid" as used herein is meant to also include a conventional hatchback lid.
In order to prevent the trunk lid from blocking the rear view of the driver, it is useful to employ a device to tie down the lid in order to prevent it from bouncing up and down. Representative examples of some devices used for this purpose are the ones disclosed in U.S. patents to Glave (U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,522), Miener (U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,946), Gregoire (U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,217), Dedic, Sr. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,689), Brown (U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,668), Simon (U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,064), Wilson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,257), Barner (U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,413) and Miller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,122). A drawback shared by all of these devices is that they require suitable features such as holes or projections to be available in the trunk lid and trunk compartment for attaching and anchoring these devices thereto. These devices appear to be awkward to use and thus unsatisfactory.
Another device for use in tying down a trunk lid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,194 to Charman. The Charman device overcomes the above-described drawback of the other devices by utilizing the existing hook or striker and latch of the trunk lid locking mechanism as the features for connecting the device between the trunk lid and trunk compartment. The Charman device includes an elongated webbing strap with a buckle for adjusting its length, an openable clasp at one end of the strap, and a keeper at the opposite end of the strap. The one end of the strap is threaded through the clasp. The clasp has a hook portion, a loop portion through which the strap passes, and a tongue portion engaging the inside of the hook portion. The keeper is an assembly of a pair of spaced plates with central openings and a plurality of cylindrical pins of different diameters extending between corners of the spaced plates. The openable clasp is for engaging with the hook or striker of the trunk lid locking mechanism and the keeper is for engaging with the latch of the trunk lid locking mechanism which is then restored to its latched condition. The keeper can be rotated within a loop of the strap to bring any one of the cylindrical pins into line with the strap.
However, the Charman device appears to be too complicated in construction and too awkward to use and thus unsatisfactory. Consequently, a need still exists for improvement of the construction of trunk lid fastening devices so as to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art without substituting new ones in their place.